Today's flat panel displays use arrays or matrices of electro-optic devices to reflect or generate light (e.g., organic light emitting diodes; electro-wetting light valves; cholesteric, twisted nematic, or super twisted nematic liquid crystals cells; and electrophoretic or micro-electromechanical devices). Typically, in a rigid, non-flexible display an electro-optic device is housed within glass or other suitable substrate. Electro-optic devices are arranged within a substrate so that they may each receive an applied voltage from a pair of electrodes. The applied voltage adjusts the wavelength and/or intensity of a device's output light. In general, a substrate will have a densely packed grid of electrodes on its front and back sides.
To ensure that light efficiently propagates through the substrate and is not significantly absorbed by an electrode, flat panel displays use “transparent” electrodes. A common transparent electrode material is indium tin oxide (ITO).
Unfortunately, ITO and other conductive oxides suffer from the problem of brittle fracture. Consequently, these oxides are ineffective as electrodes in flexible displays. For example, when a flexible display is flexed, an ITO based electrode may fracture, which may deleteriously affect the electrical coupling with an electro-optic device. Therefore, there is a need to provide flexible transparent conductors for flexible displays.